eugene pickering-第5章

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〃And　who　is　your　teacher？〃　I　asked；　glancing　at　the　book。



He　rather　avoided　meeting　my　eye；　as　he　answered；　after　an　instant's

delay；　〃Madame　Blumenthal。〃



〃Indeed！　　Has　she　written　a　grammar？〃



〃It's　not　a　grammar；　it's　a　tragedy。〃　　And　he　handed　me　the　book。



I　opened　it；　and　beheld；　in　delicate　type；　with　a　very　large　margin；

an　Historisches　Trauerspiel　in　five　acts；　entitled　〃Cleopatra。〃

There　were　a　great　many　marginal　corrections　and　annotations；

apparently　from　the　author's　hand；　the　speeches　were　very　long；　and

there　was　an　inordinate　number　of　soliloquies　by　the　heroine。　　One　of

them；　I　remember；　towards　the　end　of　the　play；　began　in　this　fashion

…



〃What；　after　all；　is　life　but　sensation；　and　sensation　but

deception？reality　that　pales　before　the　light　of　one's　dreams　as

Octavia's　dull　beauty　fades　beside　mine？　　But　let　me　believe　in　some

intenser　bliss；　and　seek　it　in　the　arms　of　death！〃



〃It　seems　decidedly　passionate；〃　I　said。　　〃Has　the　tragedy　ever　been

acted？〃



〃Never　in　public；　but　Madame　Blumenthal　tells　me　that　she　had　it

played　at　her　own　house　in　Berlin；　and　that　she　herself　undertook　the

part　of　the　heroine。〃



Pickering's　unworldly　life　had　not　been　of　a　sort　to　sharpen　his

perception　of　the　ridiculous；　but　it　seemed　to　me　an　unmistakable

sign　of　his　being　under　the　charm；　that　this　information　was　very

soberly　offered。　　He　was　preoccupied；　he　was　irresponsive　to　my

experimental　observations　on　vulgar　topicsthe　hot　weather；　the　inn；

the　advent　of　Adelina　Patti。　　At　last；　uttering　his　thoughts；　he

announced　that　Madame　Blumenthal　had　proved　to　be　an　extraordinarily

interesting　woman。　　He　seemed　to　have　quite　forgotten　our　long　talk

in　the　Hartwaldt；　and　betrayed　no　sense　of　this　being　a　confession

that　he　had　taken　his　plunge　and　was　floating　with　the　current。　　He

only　remembered　that　I　had　spoken　slightingly　of　the　lady；　and　he　now

hinted　that　it　behoved　me　to　amend　my　opinion。　　I　had　received　the

day　before　so　strong　an　impression　of　a　sort　of　spiritual

fastidiousness　in　my　friend's　nature；　that　on　hearing　now　the

striking　of　a　new　hour；　as　it　were；　in　his　consciousness；　and

observing　how　the　echoes　of　the　past　were　immediately　quenched　in　its

music；　I　said　to　myself　that　it　had　certainly　taken　a　delicate　hand

to　wind　up　that　fine　machine。　　No　doubt　Madame　Blumenthal　was　a

clever　woman。　　It　is　a　good　German　custom　at　Homburg　to　spend　the

hour　preceding　dinner　in　listening　to　the　orchestra　in　the　Kurgarten；

Mozart　and　Beethoven；　for　organisms　in　which　the　interfusion　of　soul

and　sense　is　peculiarly　mysterious；　are　a　vigorous　stimulus　to　the

appetite。　　Pickering　and　I　conformed；　as　we　had　done　the　day　before；

to　the　fashion；　and　when　we　were　seated　under　the　trees；　he　began　to

expatiate　on　his　friend's　merits。



〃I　don't　know　whether　she　is　eccentric　or　not；〃　he　said；　〃to　me　every

one　seems　eccentric；　and　it's　not　for　me；　yet　a　while；　to　measure

people　by　my　narrow　precedents。　　I　never　saw　a　gaming　table　in　my

life　before；　and　supposed　that　a　gambler　was　of　necessity　some　dusky

villain　with　an　evil　eye。　　In　Germany；　says　Madame　Blumenthal；　people

play　at　roulette　as　they　play　at　billiards；　and　her　own　venerable

mother　originally　taught　her　the　rules　of　the　game。　　It　is　a

recognised　source　of　subsistence　for　decent　people　with　small　means。

But　I　confess　Madame　Blumenthal　might　do　worse　things　than　play　at

roulette；　and　yet　make　them　harmonious　and　beautiful。　　I　have　never

been　in　the　habit　of　thinking　positive　beauty　the　most　excellent

thing　in　a　woman。　　I　have　always　said　to　myself　that　if　my　heart　were

ever　to　be　captured　it　would　be　by　a　sort　of　general　gracea

sweetness　of　motion　and　toneon　which　one　could　count　for　soothing

impressions；　as　one　counts　on　a　musical　instrument　that　is　perfectly

in　tune。　　Madame　Blumenthal　has　itthis　grace　that　soothes　and

satisfies；　and　it　seems　the　more　perfect　that　it　keeps　order　and

harmony　in　a　character　really　passionately　ardent　and　active。　　With

her　eager　nature　and　her　innumerable　accomplishments　nothing　would　be

easier　than　that　she　should　seem　restless　and　aggressive。　　You　will

know　her；　and　I　leave　you　to　judge　whether　she　does　seem　so！　　She　has

every　gift；　and　culture　has　done　everything　for　each。　　What　goes　on

in　her　mind　I　of　course　can't　say；　what　reaches　the　observerthe

admireris　simply　a　sort　of　fragrant　emanation　of　intelligence　and

sympathy。〃



〃Madame　Blumenthal；〃　I　said；　smiling；　〃might　be　the　loveliest　woman

in　the　world；　and　you　the　object　of　her　choicest　favours；　and　yet

what　I　should　most　envy　you　would　be；　not　your　peerless　friend；　but

your　beautiful　imagination。〃



〃That's　a　polite　way　of　calling　me　a　fool；〃　said　Pickering。　　〃You　are

a　sceptic；　a　cynic；　a　satirist！　　I　hope　I　shall　be　a　long　time　coming

to　that。〃



〃You　will　make　the　journey　fast　if　you　travel　by　express　trains。　　But

pray　tell　me；　have　you　ventured　to　intimate　to　Madame　Blumenthal　your

high　opinion　of　her？〃



〃I　don't　know　what　I　may　have　said。　　She　listens　even　better　than　she

talks；　and　I　think　it　possible　I　may　have　made　her　listen　to　a　great

deal　of　nonsense。　　For　after　the　first　few　words　I　exchanged　with　her

I　was　conscious　of　an　extraordinary　evaporation　of　all　my　old

diffidence。　　I　have；　in　truth；　I　suppose；〃　he　added　in　a　moment；

〃owing　to　my　peculiar　circumstances；　a　great　accumulated　fund　of

unuttered　things　of　all　sorts　to　get　rid　of。　　Last　evening；　sitting

there　before　that　charming　woman；　they　came　swarming　to　my　lips。

Very　likely　I　poured　them　all　out。　　I　have　a　sense　of　having

enshrouded　myself　in　a　sort　of　mist　of　talk；　and　of　seeing　her　lovely

eyes　shining　through　it　opposite　to　me；　like　fog…lamps　at　sea。〃　　And

here；　if　I　remember　rightly；　Pickering　broke　off　into　an　ardent

parenthesis；　and　declared　that　Madame　Blumenthal's　eyes　had　something

in　them　that　he　had　never　seen　in　any　others。　　〃It　was　a　jumble　of

crudities　and　inanities；〃　he　went　on；　〃they　must　have　seemed　to　her

great　rubbish；　but　I　felt　the　wiser　and　the　stronger；　somehow；　for

having　fired　off　all　my　gunsthey　could　hurt　nobody　now　if　they　hit…

…and　I　imagine　I　might　have　gone　far　without　finding　another　woman　in

whom　such　an　exhibition　would　have　provoked　so　little　of　mere　cold

amusement。〃



〃Madame　Blumenthal；　on　the　contrary；〃　I　surmised；　〃entered　into　your

situation　with　warmth。〃



〃Exactly　sothe　greatest！　　She　has　felt　and　suffered；　and　now　she

understands！〃



〃She　told　you；　I　imagine；　that　she　understood　you　as　if　she　had　made

you；　and　she　offered　to　be　your　guide；　philosopher；　and　friend。〃



〃She　spoke　to　me；〃　Pickering　answered；　after　a　pause；　〃as　I　had　never

been　spoken　to　before；　and　she　offered　me；　formally；　all　the　offices

of　a　woman's　friendship。〃



〃Which　you　as　formally　accepted？〃



〃To　you　the　scene　sounds　absurd；　I　suppose；　but　allow　me　to　say　I

don't　care！〃　　Pickering　spoke　with　an　air　of　genial　defiance　which

was　the　most　inoffensive　thing　in　the　world。　　〃I　was　very　much　moved；

I　was；　in　fact；　very　much　excited。　　I　tried　to　say　something；　but　I

couldn't；　I　had　had　plenty　to　say　before；　but　now　I　stammered　and

bungled；　and　at　last　I　bolted　out　of　the　room。〃



〃Meanwhile　she　had　dropped　her　tragedy　into　your　pocket！〃



〃Not　at　all。　　I　had　seen　it　on　the　table　before　she　came　in。

Afterwards　she　kindly　offered　to　read　German　aloud　with　me；　for　the

accent；　two　or　three　times　a　week。　　'What　shall　we　begin　with？'　she

asked。　　'With　this！'　I　said；　and　held　up　the　book。　　And　she　let　me

take　it　to　look　it　over。〃



I　was　neither　a　cynic　nor　a　satirist；　but　even　if　I　had　been；　I　might

have　been　disarmed　by　Pickering's　assurance；　before　we　parted；　that

Madame　Blumenthal　wished　to　know　me　and　expected　him　to　introduce　me。

Among　the　foolish　things　which；　according　to　his　own　account；　he　had

uttered；　were　some　generous　words　in　my　praise；　to　which　she　had

civilly　replied。　　I　confess　I　was　curious　to　see　her；　but　I　begged

that　the　introduction　should　not　be　immediate；　for　I　wished　to　let

Pickering　work　out　his　destiny　alone。　　For　some　days　I　saw　little　of

him；　though　we　met　at　the　Kursaal　and　strolled　occasionally　in　the

park。　　I　watched；　in　spite　of　my　desire　to　let　him　alone；　for　the

signs　and　portents　of　the　world's　action　upon　himof　that　portion　of

the　world；　in　especial；　of　which　Madame　Blumenthal　had　constituted

herself　the　agent。　　He　seemed　very　happy；　and　gave　me　in　a　dozen　ways

an　impression　of　increased　self…confidence　and　maturity。　　His　mind

was　admirably　active；　and　always；　after　a　quarter　of　an　hour's　talk

with　him；　I　asked　myself　what　experience　could　really　do；　that

innocence　had　not　done；　to　make　it　bright　and　fine。　　I　was　struck

with　his　deep　enjoyment　of　the　whole　spectacle　of　foreign　lifeits

novelty；　its　picturesqueness；　its　light　and　shadeand　with　the

infinite　freedom　with　which　he　felt　he　could　go　and　come　and　rove　and

linger　and　observe　it　all。　　It　was　an　expansion；　an　awakening；　a

coming　to　moral　manhood。　　Each　time　I　met　him　he　spoke　a　little　less

of　Madame　Blumenthal；　but　he　let　me　know　generally　that　he　saw　her

often；　and　continued　to　admire　her。　　I　was　forced　to　admit　to　myself；

in　spite　of　preconceptions；　that　if　she　were　really　the　ruling　star

of　this　happy　season；　she　must　be　a　very　superior　woman。　　Pickering

had　the　air　of　an　ingenuous　young　philosopher　sitting　at　the　feet　of

an　austere　muse；　and　not　of　a　sentimental　spendthrift　dangling　about

some　supreme　incarnation　of　levity。







CHAPTER　II。







Madame　Blumenthal　seemed；　for　the　time；　to　have　abjured　the　Kursaal；

and　I　never　caught　a　glimpse　of　her。　　Her　young　friend；　apparently；

was　an　interesting　study；　and　the　studious　mind　prefers　seclusion。



She　reappeared；　however；　at　last；　one　evening　at　the　opera；　where

from　my　chair　I　perceived　her　in　a　box；　looking　extremely　pretty。

Adelina　Patti　was　singing；　and　after　the　rising　of　the　curtain　I　was

occupied　with　the　stage；　but　on　looking　round　when　it　fell　for　the

entr'acte；　I　saw　that　the　authoress　of　〃Cleopatra〃　had　been　joined　by

her　young　admirer。　　He　was　sitting　a　little　behind　her；　leaning

forward；　looking　over　her　shoulder　and　listening；　while　she；　slowly

moving　her　fan　to　and　fro　and　letting　her　eye　wander　over　the　house；

was　apparently　talking　of　this　person　and　that。　　No　doubt　she　was

saying　sharp　things；　but　Pickering　was　not　laughing；　his　eyes　were

following　her　covert　indications；　his　mouth　was　half　open；　as　it

always　was　when　he　was　interested；　he　looked　intensely　serious。　　I

was　glad　that；　having　her　back　to　him；　she　was　unable　to　see　how　he

looked。　　It　seemed　the　proper　moment　to　present　myself　and　make　her

my　bow；　but　just　as　I　was　about　to　leave　my　place　a　gentleman；　whom

in　a　moment　I　perceived　to　be　an　old　acquaintance；　came　to　occupy　the

next　chair。　　Recognition　and　mutual　greetings　follow